Vehicle



l (Model.) 2sneets-sheen1.

F. M. 8u W. F. PENNBBKER.

VEHICLE. No. 280,854. Patented July 10, 1888.

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- P. M. 8v W. RPENNEBAKER.

VEHICLE.

PatentedJuly. 10, 188s.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. rENNEEAKEE AND WILLIAM' E. PENNEEAKEE, or PLEASANT HILL, KENTUCKY.

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 280,854, dated July 10, i883.

' Application filed April 27, 1883.

' have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicles, of which the following is a specication.

One part of our invention relates to an improved construction of the fore gear and its platform and fifth-wheel connections, and is applicable to vehicles generally. The other part of our improvement consists in devices to facilitate the dumping and restoration to itsnormal position of the body.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation, and Fig. 2 isa half-plan, of avehicle fore gear embodying a part of our invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view-cfa hind gear, side bars, and a tilting bed embodying other features of our invention.

A may represent the hind gear proper, and B the fore gear proper, of the represented or of any customary or suitable construction.

A represents semi-elliptic springs, by which the rear ends of the side bars, R, are upheld upon the rear axle.

Secured by clips C to front axle, D, near its collars, are our rear and front arch-bars, E E', of which the rearbar, E, extends obliquely upward and backward, as shown. The middle portion, e, of each arch-bar is straight and bounded by collars e. Supported by these straight portions, and secured thereto by clips C or other means, is the represented or any customary hounds, G, having the usual forked end, g, for attachment of the tongue or pole.

Braces H, which extend upward and forward from the clips C, terminate in eyes f5, which enable the substitution of thills for the tongue. A cross-bar, J, which is fastened to the hounds G andto the'front ends of the braces H, serves to rigidly unite and brace these members.

The portions of the straight parts of the arch-bars between the hounds G and the collars e support the fifth-wheel platform K either with orwithout springs L, whose front ends engage by eyes Z around the front arch- (Model.)

bar, and whose rear ends engage either by loops or by shacklesl to the rear arch-bar.

Secured by clips C to the crowns of springs L is our platform K, that consists, preferably, of the following members: l

M are two parallel spring-bars, which support a cross-bar and ring-piece, N, which is pierced near its periphery to receive the clipbolts c and at its center to receive the kingbolt N.

Firmly bolted upon the ends of the springbars M, so as to be concentric with said kingbolt, are two short transom-plates, O, whose length is preferably not in excess of the distance from outside to outside of the bars M. The thus constructed platform, with its said short transom-plates, gives firm support in thelongitudinal direction, while it permits a comparatively free rock laterally of the ring, constituting the fifth-wheel proper. A spiral spring, F, introduced betweenthe hounds and the platform, is held in place by suitable projection, G', upon the hounds.

In the illustration the fth-wheel is shown bolted to the chair Q, which in turn is bolted to the side bars, R, upon which the body S rests and along which it slides, both for being shifted to the dumping condition and vice versa. The body S rests in front upon short sills T, which are bolted to the chair Q, and at rear upon rollers U, whose shaft V extends athwart -the side bars, R.

Staples W on the body-bottom, that embrace the shaft V, prevent the body becoming disengaged from its contactwith the rollers, while permitting of the sliding to and fro and dumping ofthe body.

A guide-bar, X, fastened to the chair Q longitudinally of the vehicle, and which, in the usual condition of the bed, occupies a ,yoke,Y,

upon the latter, guides the bed toits place and prevents lateral displacement of the front end of the bed during use.

A rack, Z, attached to the under side of the bed, receives the upturned point of one or other of two gravitating pawls, l 2, that have for their common pivot the crank 3 on the end of the shaft 4., which, projecting outside of the side bar on one side of the vehicle, carries a lever, 5,

l The upper surface of this j og, sloping upward "When it is desired to move the bed rearward for dumping, the shaft ft and its attached lever 5 are brought to the position shown in the drawings, and are retained in thatposition by hooked latch or keeper 6. A vibratory motion then being given to the lever brings the pawl l into action upon the rack Z, and through it upon the bed, and the represented construction of said pawl being such as to be effective only in its rearward stroke, the result is a gradual shift of the bed to its extreme rearward position,where the tail end, preponderating, descends and causes the bed to assume the dumped condition shown in Fig. 3. \Vl1en, on the contrary, it is desired to restore the bed to its normal position, the latch G is lifted, and the lever 5, with its attached shaft et, being pushed inward, the other pawl, 2, is brought in line with the rack, so that on replacing the bed upon the side bars and again vibrating the lever the pawl 2 is caused to .draw the bed forward to its. normal position, at which it is retained by a bolt, 7 ,which is thrust through eyes S and 9 on the bed and bolster-frame respectively. The rear cross-sill, 10, projecting through the side sills, 1l, rests upon a jog, r, in the rear ends o1" the side bars.

and forward, operates to slightly li ft the tail end of the bed as the latter is drawn to its forward position, so as to partially relieve the rollers U from the weight of the bed, which thus rests partially upon the said rollers and par tially upon said bars. This supporting action of the rollers is made possible without injury to the rollers in consequence of the softening effect of the springs A upon any iolting action ofthe bed.

Among a number of important advantages of our described construction of arch-bar supports ofthe platform and its attachments, and of the independently-supported hounds and draft-pole or tongue, are that the draft exerted by the team is entirelyr from the rigid part of the gear in the immediate neighborhood of the wheels or collars; that the tongue ,is not violently lashed about, as is commonly the case both with the ordinary jolt-wagon and in those spring-wagons whose draft is in more immediate connection with the bed or spring.

It will be seen that in our arrangement the draft is transmitted directly through the hounds, and the front arch-bars to the neck of the axle near the front wheels. rlhe spread of the arch-bars being fully equal to the length of the springs, and said bars supporting both ends of the hounds, the tongue is well snpported in the direction of its length, while the comparative narrowness of platform laterally permits some rocking action of the bed without disturbing the tongue and running-gear.

The above-described complete forni of our invention may be varied in minor or non-essential particulars for particular uses. For l example, the described construction of fore gear and platform maybe associated with a permanent box, bed, or body, or with one ca-' pable of being lifted from the running-gear, .without possessing dumping facilities, and either with or without supporti11g-springs, as aforesaid.

For the lighter forms of vehicles, there may be associated with the dumping bed or body a single gravitating pawl identical with pawl l upon a crank-sh aft having vibratory but not longitudinal motion, and whose office will simply be to shift the bed rearward, such bed bev ing replaceable in its normal position by hand.

NVe claim as new and of our inventionl. ln a vehicle or wagon, the coml'iination ot' arclrbars E E, which, divcrging oblique] y upward from the front axle at or near its wheel collars, support and are attached to the hounds, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. ln a vehicle -wagon, the combination, with the front axle, D, and with the hounds G, of the obliquely upward diverging arch-bars E E', whose middle straight porti ons, e, support said hounds and the springs L that uphold the platform K, substantially as set fort-l1.

3. In a vehicle or wagon, the combination of front axle, l), arch-bars E ll, hounds G, braces H, and cross-bar J, substantially as set forth.

et. In a vehicle or wagon, the combination of front axle, l), arch-bars E E, hounds (l, braces H, cross-bar J, andthe springs L, L', and F, that uphold the platform K, substantially as set forth.

5. ln avehicle or wagon, the combination of shiftable and dumping bed or body S, resting in front upon short sills T and at rear partly upon the chamfered extremities i' ofthe spring-supported side bars, R, and partly upon rollers 'V on said side bars, substantially as set forth.

6. ln combination with the shiftable and dumping bed S, the stationary guide-bar X, and yoke Y, substantially as set forth.

7. ln combination with the shit'table and dumping bed S, having the rack L, the gravitatingpawl l upon the crank-shaftl 4, whose lever 5 is located outside the bed, substantially as set forth.

8. ln combination with the rack L upon the shifting and dumping bed S, the two reversclydirected gravitating pawls l 2, whose longitudinally-shiftable crankshaft 4L 5 is combined with latch or keeper (i, as and for the purpose designated. 4

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

FRANCIS M. PENNEBAKER. NVILLIAM F. PEN N El BAKER.

Attest:

NAT Gnrrnnn, JOHN M. MonnnLnY.

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